Gael Monfils Retires Hurt, Praises Opponent Ben Shelton

Gael Monfils was forced to retire from his Australian Open match against Ben Shelton due to injury, but showed his class by praising Shelton's energy and spirit, calling him 'an amazing kid'.

Gael Monfils, the 38-year-old French veteran, has been defying his age with a series of remarkable performances in recent weeks. However, his impressive run came to an abrupt end on Monday when he was forced to retire hurt from his fourth-round Australian Open match against Ben Shelton.

Monfils had been enjoying a resurgence, becoming the oldest ATP title-winner ever with his victory in the Auckland Classic. He then carried that momentum into the Australian Open, where he pulled off a stunning upset by defeating fourth-seeded Taylor Fritz. However, Monfils revealed that his recent success had taken a toll on his body, saying that he had exceeded his limit, which ultimately led to his retirement from the match against Shelton.

Gael Monfils' Australian Open campaign has been marked by grueling matches, with a total of over 12 hours spent on court. His first-round encounter with Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard was a five-set thriller, setting the tone for a physically demanding tournament. Monfils' exertions ultimately caught up with him, as he was forced to retire from his fourth-round match against Ben Shelton.

Monfils reflected on the toll of his recent schedule, which included a title-winning run in Auckland and a quick turnaround to compete in Melbourne. “At the end of the day, it's been a very long tour for me, playing a lot of matches, spending a lot of hours,” Monfils told reporters after retiring while trailing 7-6(3), 6-7(3), 7-6(2), 1-0 (22). He acknowledged that his body had reached its limit, saying, “Of course, some days are tougher. Today was one where I think I was already very close from the limit, and I think I passed it, unfortunately...”

Monfils also touched on the emotional challenge of dealing with a loss after a successful run. “When you win, win, win, win, oh, to lose is not easy,” he said. He recounted his recent schedule, highlighting the quick turnaround between his Auckland title win and his Australian Open campaign. “I had a great week in Auckland. I won Auckland. I was running to take the flight. The next morning I was in practice already. Then practice again. Then play four hours almost against Giovanni,” Monfils recalled, illustrating the physical and mental demands he had faced in recent weeks.

After being forced to retire from his fourth-round match against Ben Shelton, Gael Monfils showed his respect and admiration for his opponent by embracing him at the net. The crowd at the Margaret Court Arena, which was largely supporting Shelton, gave Monfils a standing ovation, acknowledging his sportsmanship and appreciation for his opponent. Monfils had high praise for Shelton, saying, “I love Ben. I love him. This kid is amazing. He's full of energy. He's a great guy, great kid.”

And Monfils could push no more today ❤️‍🩹

The Frenchman retires and that's a class act from Ben, hyping the crowd to cheer for Gael 🫶#AusOpen • #AO2025 pic.twitter.com/nRsoyKZ4y6

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2025

Monfils acknowledged that it was tough to compete against someone he genuinely likes, but he was determined to make the match challenging for Shelton. “Of course, it's always too bad to play someone that you love, but we put the fighting spirit,” Monfils said. Despite his retirement, Monfils is now rooting for Shelton, saying, “That's why I still want to make it tough for him, but at the end, of course, now I'm rooting for him. He's a guy that I really appreciate spending time with him, talking with him, sharing anything. We laugh. He's just an amazing kid.”

"Gael is the greatest highlight tape of all time." - @BenShelton sums up exactly why Monfils is special 🫶#AO2025 pic.twitter.com/sXDwsCxW4Z

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2025

Monfils' wife, Elina Svitolina, was in attendance to support him during the match. Svitolina, the 28th seed in the women's singles, had earlier defeated Veronika Kudermetova 6-4, 6-1. Monfils acknowledged that Svitolina was likely more stressed than he was, saying, “It's more stressful because you're not in control, you want to help, and you can just help with talking, but it's different.” He added, “Because when you play yourself, you really want to help sometimes.”

Ben Shelton will be meeting Lorenzo Sonego in the quarter-final.